Cable clamp and seal



July 25, 1950 W.'J. OSTERHOUDT CABLE CLAMP AND SEAL Original Filed Nov. '17, 1942 UD'I . 3 WALTER J. OST'ERHO Patented July 25, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Divided and this application 1 March 28, 1945, Serial N0. 585,271

9 Claims.

The present application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 465,892, filed November 17, 1942, now Patent No. 2,377,442 dated June 5, 1945.

The invention of the present application relates to an improved releasable cable clamp and an improved waterproof seal for electrical conductors associated with the cable. Although the invention, as disclosed in the parent patent identified above, is of particular utility as a clamp for a towing cable of a submarine, its use is not confined thereto, as explained below.

The primary object is to provide a combined towing and power cable with a connector for attachment to the vehicle or other object to be towed or suspended, such as a submarine, the, connector being so constructed that it is quickly releasable by the submarine pilot and when reattached is cleared of water, mud, or other obstructing matter to permit the re-establishment of the power and auxiliary circuits.

Other and further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and draWings, in which Figure 1 is an enlarged cross section of the cable clamp and connector;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view through the coupling to the connector sleeve showing the fingers in position before clamping pressure ;is applied;

Figure 3 is a sectional view similar to Figure 2 showing the cable fingers clamped on the cable and welded in position.

The cable 6! has quick releasable connections at its opposite ends to establish power communications between the vehicle orother object to be towed or suspended, such as a submarine and its mother craft. Since these are of the same construction a description of one of them will suffice.

A male coupling member 96, formed with an annular shoulder 91, is received within a socket 98 which is mounted on the bow of the submarine and, in its interfitting position, is retained therein by bolt elements 99 which have inwardly and rearwardly directed locking projections H10 engaging in complemental keeper recesses in the male connector. The bolts 99 are hingedly mounted on the socket 98 by transverse pins Ill! and are swung to locking or released position by rods I 02 which connect with trigger rods, passing through packing glands for operation by the pilot of the submarine. These rods and glands are not shown herein, but are shown in my prior patent identified above, of which the present application is a division. I

The male connector 96 is of tapering conformation outwardly along the cable as is shown in Figures 1-3, inclusive. Its tapering end is formed with a plurality of spaced fingers I05 so formed that when the male connector is in place the fingers I 05 are compressed and sealed by welds about the cable, thus bringing them into abutment and tightly gripping the cable.

Adjacent its end the cable BI has a clamping collar I555 compressed upon it, and beyond this the power conductor I01 and the smaller conductors I98 for supplying telephone communication, detecting apparatus, gauges, pumps, etc. are exposed and connected, respectively, to prongs Hi9 and H0 which are secured in a plug III of suitable hard, moldable plastic, dielectric material. As shown in Figure 1, the prong I99 eX- tends through a central bore in the plug I II and is secured in place by centrally bored plugs or sleeves, screwed into threaded recesses in the end facesof the plug I I I. The exposed portions of the conductors leading from cable to plug III are coated with a suitable insulating composition such as a (ii-electric, synthetic resin varnish and taped. The plug III, additionally, is formed with two or more unobstructed channels (not shown) for the purpose of filling the space around the exposed conductors with oil insula tion in manner hereinafter to be described.

The conductor prongs I09 and III! are received in sockets in the cylindrical member II2 having conductors I I9, I 253, therein, for the establishment of the various electrical circuits within the submarine. As shown in Figure 1, the cylindrical member II2 may consist of a pair of concentric sleeves of the same type of material as the plug lII. The plug III is retained in a closely fitting sleeve H3 of oil-and-water resistant synthetic rubber. This sleeve extends beyond the end of the male connector 96 and terminates in a flaring bell mouth as shown at I I4 to fit closely Within a cup II5 of similar material which is retained within the socket 98 by a plate IIB. Four pipes I I7 (two of which are shown in Figure 5) extend through the shell of the submarine and into the space within the cup II5. Their screw threaded ends receive nuts, I I8 which bear against the retaining plate I I6 and hold the assembly in position. The sleeve II 3 extends along the cable to a point beyond the clamping fingers I05 which, when contracted by constricting pressure, compress the sleeve closely around the outer wrappings of the cable 6| to grip it firmly and to impress it upon the collar I05 and the plug I II.

One of the pipes II'I supplies high pressure oil from an interior hydraulic pump to the space within the socket. Another pipe supplies compressed air from an interior air tank to the socket. A third pipe is a scavenger line carrying unwanted mixtures of oil, water and gas back to the submarine where they may be ejected. The fourth pipe finally returns clean oil from the socket to a separator which eliminates the water and returns clean oil to the hydraulic line for circulation. The flow of fluid and air to and from the socket is controlled by manually operated valves inside the submarine.

In making the cable connection the bolts 9 are held retracted and the male cable connector is inserted into the socket in the position shown in Figure 1. The bolts are then swung to "locked position.

yond the shoulder at the junction of the flexible cup l l5 with the end of the male connector element. The bell-like mouth of the rubber sleeve having passed the constricted flexible lip of the cup expands to fill the inner periphery of the cup and, under fluid pressure, the two surfaces are forced tightly together to provide a leakproof seal.

When the connection is first made the space within the socket may be filled with Water or it may contain dirt and other conductive material. In order. to clear the space so that electrical connection can be established the valves of the scavenger line are operated inside the submarine, bell or other submarine apparatus, and first air and then oil are blown alternately into the socket. This pressure reaches back to the space surrounding the exposed conductors I01, [.08 throu h the ducts previously described so that such space is al O f ushed out. By the process of blowing a te na ly wi h a r d fl s ng wi oil foreign materials are expelled from. the cup and connections. Thereafter clean oil is pumped into the cup and maintained there under high pressure. When the operator has cleared the connector in this manner he may test the resistance across the terminal panel to ascertain that no leakage exists between the several conductors, following which the power and auxiliary circuits are switched on.

, When it is .desired to release the tow line 0011- neotion the operator shuts off the power circuits and retracts the trigger levers described in my above identified patent thereby swinging the bolts 9,9 rearwardly about their pivots ,IEH whereupon the male cable connector is blown free by the force of the oil pressure in the joint.

In assembling the connector the end, of the cable 6! is passed through the stainless steel male connector 95, the fingers I05 of which are initially expanded. Next, a tight fitting sleeve of water and oil resistant yieldable material is forced over the cable and slid back from its end to expose the region to which the collar or sleeve 16 is thereupon, applied and pressed tightly to grip the cable. The compression of this col.- lar should exceed 1000 pounds per square inch. Bfiyohd the, collar H16 the outer layers of cable are. removed to expose the inner, insulating layers and various conductor which are then soldered to the pron s I09 and I I0 carried by the pl g H All exposed Wire and metal parts are then given several coats of insulating varnish and are adequately taped.

The molded oilproof, synthetic rubber sleeve is thereupon slipped forwardly to, a position where its bell-like mouth H4 is closed by the plug I l l.

In this position of the connector the belled mouth 1 l 4 of the rubber sleeve is forced be- I Finally the fingers I05 are compressed under hydraulic pressure of several thousand pounds per square inch to the full line position shown in Figure 5 at which position the fingers are welded together to prevent subsequent separation. Because the compression is made uniformly from the outside to the center of the cable there is a uniform squeezing of the tow-line thereby eliminating sharp bends or potential breaking stress points, and Since the sleeve extends beyond the rounded ends of the fingers I05 abrasion and sharp bending of the tow line is avoided at this point.

Thus, by the use of the cable clamp and connector of this invention a connection may be made in fresh orsalt water and cleaned for the establishment of electrical circuits within a period of a few seconds. When it is desired to release the tow cable this may be accomplished in a fraction of that time.

The cable connection is not restricted to use for towing a submarine but is equally adaptable to such apparatus as diving bells, salvage and rescue equipment, under water gravimeters and other geophysical apparatus. It may also be used to substain elevators or mine cages in which use it would have special advantage in that the weight sustaining cable itself carries the power line.

It must .be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details of construction shown in the accompanying drawings and described above, but includes all modifications coming Within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

I claim:

1. A detachable cable connector comprising a, socket, an electrical connector in the socket, conduits communicating with the space within said socket for supplying fluids and gases under pressure thereto, a plug having an electrical connector associated therewith, carried by the cable to be connected, said plug being adapted to enter said socket and close the open end thereof and to bring the connectors into cooperative relation, flexible means carried by the plug and socket, respectively, for interfltting engagement and to effeet a secure seal under pressure of fluid admitted to the socket space, and releasable latching means for securing said plug in said socket.

2. A detachable cable connector comprising a cup-shaped socket formed with an inwardly directed shoulder, a flexible element retained in said socket rearwardly of said shoulder and presenting a constricting flexible annulus within the socket, a cable end, a plug in the form of a sleeve securedto the cable end, and interposed flexible liner between, the plug and cable terminating beyond the end of the plug in an outwardly flared bell of diameter greater than the constriction of said annulus but adapted to pass therebeyond when the plug is inserted in the socket, electrical conductors extending from the end of said cable to a multi-prong plug retained in said flexible liner, a .complemental plug socket carried by the first mentioned socket for said multi-prong plug,

means for conveying fluid and gases under pressure into the space within said cup-shaped socket thereby to force the flared end of said plug liner into contact with said constricting annulus therein, whereby the conductors and connections may be sealed against infiltration of conducting liquids and insulated by the surrounding injected fluid, and latching means for releasably securing said plug sleeve in said cup-shaped socket.

3. A detachable cable connector comprising a socket member, a plug member adapted to enter said socket member, flexible means carried by one member arranged to bear against a wall of the other member, means for delivering fluid under pressure against said flexible means to urge it into sealing contact with the other member, and cooperating electrical connectors carried and enclosed by the members.

4. A detachable cable connector comprising a socket member, a plug member adapted to enter said socket member, flexible means carried by one member arranged to bear against a wall of the other member, and. in part defining a substantially closed space, means for delivering fluid under pressure into said space against said flexible means to urge the same into sealing contact with the other member, cooperating electrical connectors carried by the members and disposed at least in part within said space, and releasable latch means for holding the plug in the socket.

5. A detachable cable connector comprising a socket member, a plug member adapted to enter said socket member, the members when assembled defining a substantially closed internal chamber, flexible sealing means carried by one of the members, cooperating electrical connectors carried by the members and disposed at least in part in said chamber, and means for flushing the chamber with fluid to clean the same and for delivering fluid to the chamber under pressure to urge the flexible sealing means into sealing contact.

6. A detachable cable connector comprising a socket member, a plug member adapted to enter said socket member, the members when assembled defining a substantially closed internal chamber, flexible sealing means carried by one of the members, cooperating electrical connectors carried by the members and disposed at least in part in said chamber, means for flushing the chamber with fluid to clean the same and for delivering fluid to the chamber under pressure to urge the flexible sealing means into sealing contact, and a releasable latch for holding the plug in the socket.

7. A detachable cable connector comprising a socket member, a plug member adapted to enter the socket member, a flexible cup carried by the socket member having an inwardly projecting annular enlargement, an outwardly flaring, flexible bell carried by the plug adapted to be seated within the enlargement, electrical connectors within the space defined by the cup and bell, and means for delivering fluid into said space, first to flush the space and then to maintain the bell seated upon the enlargement under pressure.

8. A detachable cable connector comprising interfitting socket and plug members defining a substantially closed internal space, cooperating, readily engageable and separable electrical connector prongs and sockets carried by the members and disposed at least in part in said space, means for delivering a gaseous medium under pressure into said space and for discharging foreign matter and the medium therefrom, and means for delivering di-electric oil into said space under pressure and for discharging the same therefrom, further to flush the space, the discharge means being capable of being rendered inoperative, to maintain a body of oil under pressure in said space.

9. A detachable cable connector comprising interfitting socket and plug members defining a substantially closed internal space, cooperating, readily engageable and separable electrical connector prongs and sockets carried by the members and disposed at least in part in said space, a pair of valved conduits adapted to deliver a gaseous medium to, and to discharge the same from said space, and another pair of conduits adapted to deliver a di-electric oil to and discharge the same from the space, the last-mentioned discharge conduit being closable to maintain a body of oil under pressure in the space.

WALTER J. OSTERHOUDT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 809,792 Eustis Jan. 9, 1906 2,081,263 Bennett May 25, 1937 2,168,757 Baillard et al Aug. 8, 1939 2,175,583 White Oct. 10, 1939 2,245,154 McWane June 10, 1941 2,261,742 Matsumoto Nov. 4, 1941 2,275,762 Horton Mar. 10, 1942 2,280,711 Machlett et al Apr. 21, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 232,334 England Apr. 17, 1925 490,013 England Aug. 5, 1938 

